2013 Rolex 24 At Daytona: Hour 24 Update

The final update, from a frantic final hour of the 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona

The 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona came down to a late race restart and a breathless exchange of splash and dash pitstops in the final hour.

The final hour began with a final caution of the race, brought out after the #45 MagnusRacing Porsche lost a tyre. The period behind the safety car bunched up the top for Daytona Prototypes on the lead lap, MaxAngelelli leading JuanPabloMontoya, JoaoBarbosa and A.J. Allmendinger.

As the green flag flew both ActionExpressRacing driver Barbosa and MichaelShankRacing’s Allmendinger leapt past Montoya, but the pair came together at the International Horseshoe, Allmendinger search for a way around the outside of Barbosa, the Portuguese resisting the move, easing Allmendinger out onto the grass.

The brief excursion forced Mike Shank’s strategical hand, and the #60 was pulled into the pits within a few laps simply to clear the grills on the front of the Ford-Riley, the stop dropping them to fourth. However, they were lifted back up to third when Barbosa was assessed a penalty for jumping the restart.

That reduced the battle for victory to a two horse race. Unsurprisingly Montoya romped into the lead, pulling away from Angelelli. However, both would ultimately have to make a final splash and dash fuel stop.

Montoya’s pit visit put Angelelli in the lead with just seven minutes of the 24 hours remaining, but the WayneTaylorRacing team opted for the conservative (or perhaps wise) approach, forfeiting their chances of victory to make sure of second place by making their own splash-and-dash stop. Angelelli would bring the Velocity WorldWide sponsored car home second, Allmendinger third for the defending Rolex 24 champions.

There were similar late pitstops at the head of the GT field. Both AnthonyLazzaro and ReneRast pitted from the top two places in class early in the hour, but the stops gave them the security to charge while others where trying to eke out their remaining fuel.

Unabashed Rast moved forward, picking off the fuel savers and taking advantage of those who had to make their final stops from the places ahead of him, DamienFaulkner, for example giving up second place in the AlexJobRacing Porsche to make his stop. That move removed the chances of an unorthodox AJR 1-2 with FilipeAlbuquerque leading in the team’s Audi R8, but he too would have to make his final stop.

But such was his advantage that he maintained the lead, becoming the head of an R8 1-2-3 ahead of MarkusWinkelhock for RumBumRacing and a rampant Rast. While the two Germans battled for the lower steps on the podiums Albuquerque stole just enough of a lead to bring home the class win.

Rast took second on the final lap, driving right around the outside of Winkelhock on the infield, but perhaps the ease of the move was a portent of the lack of fuel in the Rum Bum car, Winkelhock running out almost within sight of the checkered flag leaving the final sport on the podium the #69 Ferrari squad.

Away from the drama – though they made their own late stop – NapletonRacing completed their serene progress to the GX class win, leading home BulletRacing by ten laps.